Supreme Court of Philippines Confirms GM Eggplant Ban

Based on the 'precautionary principle'

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The Philippines Supreme Court permanently halted the field testing for genetically modified eggplant, Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), upholding the decision of the Court of Appeals (CA) which stopped the field trials for the GM plant.

Not only did the High Court deny the petition to continue cultivation of the GM eggplant, but the appeals court’s May 2013 decision was also amended.

Aside from permanently stopping field testing for Bt talong (eggplant), the Supreme Court also declared null and void the Department of Agriculture’s (DA’s) Administrative Order No. 08, series of 2002.

Additionally, the court ruled that any application for field testing, contained use, propagation, and importation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is temporarily stopped pending the promulgation of a new administrative order.

In its ruling, the High Tribunal also explained its application of the precautionary principle, which maintains that “lack of scientific certainty is no reason for inaction at the risk of potentially serious or irreversible harm to the environment.” This principal has been explained at length in a paper by Nassim Taleb et al. (http://www.fooledbyrandomness.com/pp2.pdf)

In May 2013, the court stopped the nationwide field testing of the Bt eggplant following a petition filed by Greenpeace and farmers’ group Masipag against respondents UP Los Baños Foundation Inc, UP Mindanao Foundation Inc, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The cautionary principle was also used in this case.

Moreover, the court announced that existing regulations of the DA and the Department of Science and Technology were not enough to ensure the safety of the environment and health of the people.

The High Court agreed with the appellate court, mentioning the lack of consensus among scientists regarding the safety of Bt crops.

It also found the DA’s administrative order lacking in the minimum safety requirements under Executive Order 514, which established the National Biosafety Framework (NBF).

More transparent, meaningful and participatory consultation of scientists and the public was called for.

Three conditions were noted in the case that warranted the application of the principle:

Settings in which the risks of harm are uncertain

Settings in which harm might be irreversible and what is lost is irreplaceable

Settings in which the harm that might result would be serious

The court stated:

“When these features – uncertainty, the possibility of irreversible harm, and the possibility of serious harm – coincide, the case for the precautionary principle is strongest. When in doubt, cases must be resolved in favor of the constitutional right to a balanced and healthful ecology.”

Post written byChristina Sarich:Christina Sarich is a humanitarian and freelance writer helping you to Wake up Your Sleepy Little Head, and See the Big Picture. Her blog is Yoga for the New World. Her latest book is Pharma Sutra: Healing the Body And Mind Through the Art of Yoga.

“This decision builds on a wave of countries in Europe rejecting GE
crops, and is a major setback for the GE industry,” said Virginia
Benosa-Llorin, Ecological Agriculture Campaigner for Greenpeace
Philippines. “The Philippines has been used as a model for GE regulatory
policy around the world, but now we are finally making progress to give
people a right to choose the food they want to eat and the type of
agriculture they want to encourage.”

The Supreme Court decision sets a global precedent as it is the first
legal decision on GM in the Philippines using the Writ of Kalikasan
(environment) – a legal environmental remedy found only in the
Philippines. The court is also the first in the world to adopt the
precautionary principle – which holds that it is best to err on the side
of caution in the absence of scientific consensus – regarding GM
products in its decision.

Typical coward response. Not smart enough to accept or understand the world wide scientific studies showing complete safety. So let’s just be scared and hope we can come up with enough food for the growing population. Oh I’m sorry with your iq we don’t really need to raise food all we have to do is go to the store.

We is a misnomer, they have representatives, ie their own Govt’s.
How’s about WE make their representatives do their jobs. Then WE can get the corporations, like the GE industry, out of the representative affairs which will remove their tunnel vision.
WE shouldn’t be in the business of promising magic unicorns who crap out rainbows.
I’m sorry your scared, but a simple political and economic understanding would open your eyes.
Yes, I understand that junk science allows safety for all fundamentalist scientific endeavors.
Keep saying the science is proven and conclusive, no further research is needed….
Since all GE’s end up in the store…
Get some training in marketing also.